


And I'm Happy to Say

by enmity



Category: Persona 2, Persona Series
Genre: Ep, Gen, M/M, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 16:09:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20781362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enmity/pseuds/enmity
Summary: There was a second set of footsteps on the beach.





	And I'm Happy to Say

During one of their shopping errands he’d caught the kid staring a little too intently at one of the lit-up arcade games plugged to the wall. He didn’t seem too comfortable starting conversations on his own, and sure enough his prissy older brother wasn’t going to make fitting in any easier for him, so before Baofu knew it he was catching up to where Tatsuya stood, hands pocketed as he spoke up. “Oh? You’re into those kinds of things? I’m not half-bad myself, you know.”

“I play them sometimes,” Tatsuya said without looking up. He didn’t even seem to be looking at the screen, the demo of the combat being played on loop, but Baofu had noticed that was the way he was with most things; he looked through them when he bothered to look at all, as though preoccupied with the thought he had somewhere else to be. His eyes had far too many shadows than was congruous with age, but Baofu wasn’t going to be the one to bring that up. “Used to. Before, anyway.”

He offered a dry laugh and bit down on his cigarette. Tatsuya flicked his lighter. “Where you went off to cut class?”

For his part, he saw one corner of Tatsuya’s mouth lift in amusement. Tiny, but there all the time, and see—he managed to do in two minutes what Suou couldn’t in eighteen years, probably. Not too bad. “I’m okay at them,” shrugged the boy. “Passes the time, that’s all.”

“I have a couple coins on me,” Baofu said. “Not the throwing kind, of course.”

Tatsuya’s expression flattened again, and he gestured vaguely at the plastic bags they carried, stuffed with snacks and energy drinks and recovery items that snapped you awake from possession and temporary madness more instantaneously than a pill exorcised a head cold, the surrealism of which only sank in once you allowed it to. He didn’t, of course. “Let’s not. Katsuya’s going to fret if we stick around here any longer.”

“Only a good brother when he’s not around to see, huh?” He snickered, but his words had no teeth. They never did, with Tatsuya.

“Say whatever you want, Baofu,” Tatsuya murmured, and for a moment seemed to shrink, fists burying deeper into his pockets. “Thanks for the offer, though. You’re… a bit easier to talk to. Compared to my brother…”

“When you’re a grownup like me you start to develop a certain appreciation for people who don’t play hopscotch with words,” replied Baofu. They were already walking, like this, and soon the arcade lights became a vague glow in his peripheral vision, dulled by the cover of his sunglasses. Maybe next time; if there were one, after all the mess was over and done with. He thought maybe the kid would like that, too. “You’re not one yet, but you’re already coming along better than that wussy for sure. That reassuring?”

Tatsuya didn’t answer, just made a muffled sound into the collar of his jacket, but for a second the pain in his eyes seemed to lessen—just a little, and Baofu pressed his mouth into a line, thought briefly about saying something, or clapping him lightly on the shoulder, maybe. Like a brother or friend would. He chose to let the moment pass instead. He didn’t care much for Suou, but the kid was right; the end of the world wasn’t going to wait for anyone.

.

There was a second set of footsteps on the beach.

Of course, the one day he’d decided to go on a whim, there’d be someone. There’d be him, and Baofu turned his face away from the rippling waves the instant he noticed the indents in the sand left by sneaker soles.

The familiarity seized him for a moment, but just as soon came the reminder that this Tatsuya wasn’t the one from before, not the kid with a sword who’d hopped to save their asses from that crazed Sudou as the museum burned, not the Tatsuya they’d parted with, who’d shouldered the memories of another timeline and almost let theirs crumble just because he wanted to feel a little less alone in the world.

Baofu wasn’t a fool; he knew better than to look in him for the boy he’d almost known, almost talked to, almost connected with. The person in front of him was a stranger, and to him he offered the same wry face he gave to all strangers.

“Hey,” he called out, and the boy tilted his head, blinking. He was better than his counterpart at maintaining eye contact, that much was obvious.

Tatsuya coughed, “Do I know you?”

“No. Never met me for a day in your life,” Baofu said and offered a hand. He took it. “What’s your name, kid?"

“Tatsuya.”

“Hmm.” He turned his shoulder, ready to walk away.

“Wait.” Tatsuya frowned. “You didn’t give me yours.”

In the next instant he found a coin being tossed his way, barely catching it in time. (_That_ Tatsuya would’ve intercepted it the moment Baofu made the throw.)

“Do you go to the arcade at the mall? Win a round against me and I might just tell you.”

He didn’t blow him off.

Instead, “How do I know you’ll show up?”

“Who knows?” shrugged Baofu, “You’ll just have to stick around and find out.”

(They both already knew the answer to that, though.)

**Author's Note:**

> REQUESTED. lmfaoo this took the shortest time to write even though i wrote it so late but hey it's the longest one so i don't feel /as/ bad about spamming it on ao3 hahaha


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